Reference-free crack detection using transfer impedances

A new concept of reference-free damage detection methodology is developed using transfer impedances to detect crack damage in a plate-like structure without using previously collected baseline data. Conventional impedance-based damage detection techniques have been shown to be vulnerable to other types of changes such as temperature variation that may not be relevant to defects of interest. One of the potential disadvantages of the conventional techniques is frequent false-alarms due to these undesirable variations that may occur in field applications. In order to reduce these false-alarms, this paper proposes a new methodology that utilizes transfer impedances obtained between two pairs of collocated PZT patches instead of the electromechanical impedance obtained at one PZT patch. The proposed technique utilizes Lamb mode conversion effects caused by the presence of crack damage in plate structures. Furthermore, an instantaneous damage classification is carried out by comparing mode conversion energy among several combinations of measured signals without any user-specified threshold or relying on the baseline data. The feasibility of the proposed reference-free methodology using transfer impedances is investigated via a series of experiments conducted on an aluminum plate.     

Design of interdigital transducers for crack detection in plates

Interdigital transducers (IDT) for non-destructive evaluation (NDE) of cracks in plates are designed based on an analytical model established previously. Key considerations include mode selectivity, excitation strength, collimation of wave and cost. The advantage of mode selectivity of IDT over PZT patch is presented both analytically and experimentally. Effects of parameters, namely finger spacing, width, length, number of fingers, and the size of IDT, on the excitation strength and mode selectivity are considered. This led to the design of a mobile double-sided IDT as an efficient device where excitation strength is strong and focused. The device was fabricated in-house using commercially available piezoelectric ceramics and used to develop a procedure for accurate identification of the direction and extent of cracks in plates. Three aluminum plates, one with a linear deep crack, another with a piecewise linear shallower crack and the third with a curved crack, were used to illustrate the accuracy and efficiency of both the proposed device and procedure for effective NDE.     

Reference-free Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor

The traditional Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensing (SHWS) system measures the wavefront slope by calculating the centroid shift between the sample and a reference piece, and then the wavefront is reconstructed by a suitable iterative reconstruction method. Because of the necessity of a reference, many issues are brought up, which limit the system in most applications. This Letter proposes a reference-free wavefront sensing (RFWS) methodology, and an RFWS system is built up where wavefront slope changes are measured by introducing a lateral disturbance to the sampling aperture. By using Southwell reconstruction two times to process the measured data, the form of the wavefront at the sampling plane can be well reconstructed. A theoretical simulation platform of RFWS is established, and various surface forms are investigated. Practical measurements with two measurement systems-SHWS and our RFWS-are conducted, analyzed, and compared. All the simulation and measurement results prove and demonstrate the correctness and effectiveness of the method.     

不锈钢折弯板裂纹Lamb波检测技术

金属弯板广泛应用于车辆、船舶、飞机等大型装备结构件中,折弯处易形成应力集中产生裂纹,直接影响构件的使用安全和寿命.该文开展了不锈钢弯板裂纹缺陷Lamb波检测技术研究,计算了钢板的频散曲线,优选3种不同频率的S0模态:0.25 MHz、0.5 MHz、1 MHz.利用COMSOL仿真软件建立频域仿真模型,模拟了Lamb波...     

Temperature corrected sensor diagnostics for impedance-based SHM

Previously, a sensor diagnostics method has been developed for the impedance-based structural health monitoring technique. Impedance techniques utilize piezoelectric patches bonded to the structure of interest for inference of damage. Measuring the slope of piezoelectric susceptance allows unhealthy sensor to be identified. While this sensor diagnostics technique is very useful in detecting damaged sensors bonded to a structure, the method is also susceptible to temperature variations. The object of this study is to accurately provide sensor diagnostics at any temperature. The model developed should be accurate and easy to implement on health monitoring hardware. A frame structure is fabricated to simulate a real structure with complex boundary conditions for experimental testing in various thermal environments. A model predicting piezoelectric susceptance slope at any temperature is generated and validated on the frame structure in an extended temperature range.     

Magnetic detection of crack initiation and propagation

Crack initiation and propagation in steel has been detected by measurements of magnetic flux variations.     

Optimal detection of crack echo families in elastic solids

Optimal detection of a striplike crack residing in an isotropic elastic solid with coarse microstructure by means of ultrasonic nondestructive evaluation (NDE) is considered. A physics-based approach to derive an optimal detector, which achieves the theoretical limitations constrained by the underlying physics, is presented. State-of-the-art physical models of crack echoes and of stochastic backscattering from the material structure in elastic solids are introduced and unified with the theory of optimal detection to yield a practically useful nonlinear filter bank implementation of the optimal detector. Monte Carlo simulations of the detection performance for the special case of a striplike crack with uncertain angular orientation are presented in the form of receiver operating characteristics (ROCs). These new results represent the physical limitations for detecting a crack under the stated conditions and serve as performance bounds to which other detectors should be compared. A physics-based generalized likelihood ratio (GLR) detector, which relies on the same nonlinear filter bank as the optimal detector, is also presented for the special case of a striplike crack. A comparison between the optimal and the GLR detectors shows that the GLR detector only slightly reduces the performance.     

Nonlinear photothermal and photoacoustic processes for crack detection

We show that, using the thermal and mechanical nonlinearities of cracks, it is possible to produce nonlinear effects in the process of thermoelastic laser-generation of sound at the surface of a metallic sample. Two independent laser bursts centered on two different frequencies f₁ and f₂ are focused on the same spot, which can be close or distant form an artificial surface crack. By recording the acoustic response of the sample, frequency spectra obtained at different spot distances from the crack are compared. We observe that the frequency components resulting from the nonlinear process of frequency mixing (f₁+f₂, 2f₁, 2f₂, ...) are detectable for a generation on the crack but are absent out of the crack. Possible future improvements and other opportunities of crack imaging or non destructive testing methods based on these nonlinear processes are discussed.     

Damage detection in plates structures based on frequency shift surface curvature

This paper presents a novel damage detection method for plate structures based on the curvature of frequency shift surface (FSS). Unlike other commonly used vibration properties like mode shapes which have low accuracy in practice; this method uses the FSS curvature to improve the accuracy because the measurement of frequency gives better accuracy. Furthermore, it is found that the local damage will only cause local change on the FSS curvature which can be considered as abnormality because the FSS curvature of an intact plate is smooth according to the assumption that intact plate structures are often homogenous and smooth. To avoid the usage of prior knowledge of the health structure, the curve fitting technique based on local regression is adopted to simulate the FSS curvature for the intact state so that only the data from the damaged plate structure is required. Compared with traditional methods, this method is more sensitive and accurate.     

Large amplitude vibrations and damage detection of rectangular plates

In this work, geometrically nonlinear vibrations of fully clamped rectangular plates are used to study the sensitivity of some nonlinear vibration response parameters to the presence of damage. The geometrically nonlinear version of the Mindlin plate theory is used to model the plate behaviour. Damage is represented as a stiffness reduction in a small area of the plate. The plate is subjected to harmonic loading with a frequency of excitation close to the first natural frequency leading to large amplitude vibrations. The plate vibration response is obtained by a pseudo-load mode superposition method. The main results are focussed on establishing the influence of damage on the vibration response of the plate and the change in the time-history diagrams and the Poincaré maps caused by the damage. Finally, a criterion and a damage index for detecting the presence and the location of the damage is proposed. The criterion is based on analysing the points in the Poincaré sections of the damaged and healthy plate. Numerical results for large amplitude vibrations of damaged and healthy rectangular and square plates are presented and the proposed damage index for the considered cases is calculated. The criterion demonstrates quite good abilities to detect and localize damage.     

Nonlinear ultrasonic wave modulation for online fatigue crack detection

This study presents a fatigue crack detection technique using nonlinear ultrasonic wave modulation. Ultrasonic waves at two distinctive driving frequencies are generated and corresponding ultrasonic responses are measured using permanently installed lead zirconate titanate (PZT) transducers with a potential for continuous monitoring. Here, the input signal at the lower driving frequency is often referred to as a ‘pumping’ signal, and the higher frequency input is referred to as a ‘probing’ signal. The presence of a system nonlinearity, such as a crack formation, can provide a mechanism for nonlinear wave modulation, and create spectral sidebands around the frequency of the probing signal. A signal processing technique combining linear response subtraction (LRS) and synchronous demodulation (SD) is developed specifically to extract the crack-induced spectral sidebands. The proposed crack detection method is successfully applied to identify actual fatigue cracks grown in metallic plate and complex fitting-lug specimens. Finally, the effect of pumping and probing frequencies on the amplitude of the first spectral sideband is investigated using the first sideband spectrogram (FSS) obtained by sweeping both pumping and probing signals over specified frequency ranges.     

Laser ultrasonics detection of an embedded crack in a composite spherical particle

Laser ultrasonics was applied to the manufacturing control of the integrity (no failure) of coated spherical particles designed for High Temperature Reactors (HTR). This control is of major importance, since the coating of the nuclear fuel kernel is designed to prevent from the diffusion of fission products outside the particle during reactor operation. The SiC layer composing the coating is particularly important, since this layer must be an impenetrable barrier for fission products. The integrity of the SiC shell (no crack within the shell) can be assessed by the ultrasonic vibration spectrum of the HTR particle, which is significantly changed, compared to the reference spectrum of a defect-free particle. Spheroidal vibration modes of defect-free dummy particles with a zirconium dioxide (ZrO₂) core were observed in the 2-5 MHz range. A theoretical analysis is presented to account for the observed vibration spectra of defect-free or cracked HTR particles.     

闭合裂纹非共线混频超声检测试验研究

针对结构中微裂纹检测难题,发展了一种闭合裂纹非共线混频超声检测方法。在对非共线混频超声检测机理分析基础上,进行了结构中疲劳裂纹混频非线性超声检测实验。对有无裂纹试件中检测信号进行了滤波和时频分析,结果表明,可根据信号滤波后时域波形中是否存在明显的混频波包或时频分析中是否存在明显的和频分量,实现有无闭合裂纹的判识;通过移动激励探头的位置,控制两列入射声波在试件中的交汇位置,实现试件中不同深度位置的混频非线性检测。并根据测得的混频非线性系数沿试件深度方向上分布,实现了闭合裂纹沿深度方向上长度的测量。研究工作为结构中微裂纹定量评价做了有益探索。     

Mathematical morphology for TOFD image analysis and automatic crack detection

The aim of this work is to automate the interpretation of ultrasonic images during the non-destructive testing (NDT) technique called time-of-flight diffraction (TOFD) to aid in decision making.     

Micro-crack detection of nonlinear Lamb wave propagation in three-dimensional plates with mixed-frequency excitation

We propose a nonlinear ultrasonic technique by using the mixed-frequency signals excited Lamb waves to conduct micro-crack detection in thin plate structures. Simulation models of three-dimensional(3D) aluminum plates and composite laminates are established by ABAQUS software, where the aluminum plate contains buried crack and composite laminates comprises cohesive element whose thickness is zero to simulate delamination damage. The interactions between the S_0 mode Lamb wave and the buried micro-cracks of various dimensions are simulated by using the finite element method.Fourier frequency spectrum analysis is applied to the received time domain signal and fundamental frequency amplitudes,and sum and difference frequencies are extracted and simulated. Simulation results indicate that nonlinear Lamb waves have different sensitivities to various crack sizes. There is a positive correlation among crack length, height, and sum and difference frequency amplitudes for an aluminum plate, with both amplitudes decreasing as crack thickness increased, i.e.,nonlinear effect weakens as the micro-crack becomes thicker. The amplitudes of sum and difference frequency are positively correlated with the length and width of the zero-thickness cohesive element in the composite laminates. Furthermore,amplitude ratio change is investigated and it can be used as an effective tool to detect inner defects in thin 3D plates.     

Cooling analysis of welded materials for crack detection using infrared thermography

Infrared thermography offers a wide range of possibilities for the detection of flaws in welding, being the main difference among them the thermal excitation of the material. This paper analyzes the application of an inexpensive and versatile thermographic test to the detection of subsurface cracks in welding. The procedure begins with the thermal excitation of the material, following with the monitoring of the cooling process with IRT (InfraRed Thermography). The result is a sequence of frames that enables the extraction of thermal data, useful for the study of the cooling tendencies in the defect and the non-defect zone. Then, each image is subjected to a contour lines algorithm towards the definition of the morphology of the detected defects. This combination of data acquisition and processing allows the differentiation between two types of cracks: toe crack and subsuperficial crack, as defined in the quality standards.     

Integrated peak spectral intensity for in situ crack detection

This paper presents an integrated peak spectral intensity method for in situ detection of a fatigue crack in a metallic material. The method employs a laser beam to illuminate the notch root of a central slot machined on test specimens. The diffracted images are digitized, recorded and processed on a personal computer. Subsequent image processing and analysis yield information from which fatigue crack initiation on the specimen is determined. The technique is applied to aluminium alloy specimens subjected to a cyclic tensile load with a constant stress amplitude. Unlike previous techniques, the present technique enables recording of speckle images and the subsequent detection of fatigue crack initiation without the necessity of unloading the test specimen from the testing machine.     

A novel method for crack detection in beam-like structures by measurements of natural frequencies

A novel method is proposed for calculating the natural frequencies of a multiple cracked beam and detecting unknown number of multiple cracks from the measured natural frequencies. First, an explicit expression of the natural frequencies through crack parameters is derived as a modification of the Rayleigh quotient for the multiple cracked beams that differ from the earlier ones by including nonlinear terms with respect to crack severity. This expression provides a simple tool for calculating the natural frequencies of the beam with arbitrary number of cracks instead of solving the complicated characteristic equation. The obtained nonlinear expression for natural frequencies in combination with the so-called crack scanning method proposed recently by the authors allowed the development of a novel procedure for consistent identification of unknown amount of cracks in the beam with a limited number of measured natural frequencies. The developed theory has been illustrated and validated by both numerical and experimental results.     

Double Gaussian potential stochastic resonance method and its application in centrifugal fan blade crack detection

Stochastic resonance (SR) has been extensively utilized in the field of weak fault signal detection for its characteristic of enhancing weak signals by transferring the noise energy. Aiming at solving the output saturation problem of the classical bistable stochastic resonance (CBSR) system, a double Gaussian potential stochastic resonance (DGSR) system is proposed. Moreover, the output signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the DGSR method is derived based on the adiabatic approximation theory to analyze the effect of system parameters on the DGSR method. At the same time, for the purpose of overcoming the drawback that the traditional SNR index needs to know the fault characteristic frequency (FCF), the weighted local signal-to-noise ratio (WLSNR) index is constructed. The DGSR with WLSNR can obtain optimal parameters adaptively, thereby establishing the DGSR system. Ultimately, a DGSR method is proposed and applied in centrifugal fan blade crack detection. Through simulations and experiments, the effectiveness and superiority of the DGSR method are verified.     

Vibration based algorithm for crack detection in cantilever beam containing two different types of cracks

In this paper, a simple method for detection of multiple edge cracks in Euler–Bernoulli beams having two different types of cracks is presented based on energy equations. Each crack is modeled as a massless rotational spring using Linear Elastic Fracture Mechanics (LEFM) theory, and a relationship among natural frequencies, crack locations and stiffness of equivalent springs is demonstrated. In the procedure, for detection of m cracks in a beam, 3m equations and natural frequencies of healthy and cracked beam in two different directions are needed as input to the algorithm.